Zrece
Encyclopedia
Zreče is a town and a municipality
in northeast Slovenia
. It lies on the slopes of Pohorje
in the upper valley of the river Dravinja
. Traditionally the area was part of the Lower Styria
region. The municipality is now included in the Savinja statistical region
. In 2002 it had a population of 6245, growing to 6443 according to the 2008 census. Zreče became a single settlement in 1987 when the villages of Upper and Zgornje Zreče, Spodnje Zreče and Dobrava were united. The economy is centred around tourism
, especially in the winter months with the ski resort at Rogla
. A proportion of the population is also employed in agriculture.
, 42 kilometres from Maribor
, 25 kilometres from Celje
and 4 kilometres from Slovenske Konjice
. The municipality covers an area of 67 square kilometres at the foothills of the Pohorje range between 360 and 1517 metres above sea level
. The central part of the municipality is highly segmented with much of the northern part with hills with an altitude of over 1000 metres and a continental climate
.
from the area has pointed to Neolithic
settlement of the area. The earliest written sources date to the end of the 10th century when the area was divided into a number of ecclesiastical and secular domains.
The parish church
in the settlement is dedicated to Saint Giles
and belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maribor. It dates to the 14th century with 18th and 19th century side chapel
s. Two churches on the Brinjeva Gora hill to the east of the settlement belong to the same parish. They are dedicated to Saint Agnes , built between 1726 and 1732, and to the Mother of God, built in 1769.
ski and health resort has become increasingly important to the local economy through tourism which employs around half of the population. There are many hotels, apartments, holiday houses, villas in the area and gymnasiums, health clinics, saunas and massage parlors. The Rogla resort is most active from the beginning of December through to mid March and has some 13 slopes for skiers of all abilities.
Tourism at Zreško Pohorje began to develop before the Second World War. The first observation tower
on Rogla was built in 1934. Many of the tourist facilities were destroyed during the war. The Koča hut on Rogla was rebuilt in 1956. It was managed by the Zreče mountaineering society until 1972 when it was taken over and renovated by Unior, a local company that produces hand tools. The company has become one of the biggest companies on its field in Europe and its management has had a continued interest in the development oh the whole Zreče and Rogla area. In 1974 Unior's management commissioned studies for the development of Rogla as a ski resort. The road leading to the peak was also widened. The first ski lift
s handling up to 900 skiers per hour were built.
The idea was to develop Rogla together with other tourist centres on Pohorje to offer a complete package with skiing, the spa resort at Zreče and agrotourism in the area. Thus in 1978 construction began on Hotel Dobrava in Zreče and of Hotel Planja on Rogla. Hotel Planja opened in 1980 with new ski lifts. In 1981 hotel Dobrava with 70 beds, a swimming pool and a new athletics-football stadium was completed. In 1981 hotel Dobrava with 70 beds, a swimming pool and a new athletics-football stadium was completed. By the 1990s Rogla had a capacity of over 1.200 beds and ski lifts handling 12.200 skiers per hour. A new Hotel Dobrava with 160 new beds was opened in 2000 and between 2002 and 2004 four new chairlifts were constructed and artificial snow systems extended, making Rogla one of the ski centres in Slovenia with the best snow conditions and the longest ski season.
Today there are 13 slopes for all levels of skiers available.
In 2005, the town was twinned with Sedbergh
in Cumbria
, UK. The efforts of Sedbergh to find a twin town were featured in a BBC
documentary, The Town That Wants A Twin and Zreče was the winning town.
, Boharina
, Bukovlje
, Čretvež
, Črešnova
, Drobovlje
, Gorenje pri Zrečah
, Gornja vas
, Gračič
, Koroška vas na Pohorju
, Križevec
, Lipa
, Loška Gora pri Zrečah
, Mala Gora
, Osredek pri Zrečah
, Padeški Vrh
, Planina na Pohorju
, Polajna
, Radana vas
, Resnik
, Rogla
, Skomarje
, Spodnje Stranice
, Stranice
, Zabork
, Zlakova
, Zreče
Municipalities of Slovenia
Slovenia is divided into 211 municipalities , of which 11 have urban status.Slovene is an official language of all the municipalities. Hungarian is a second official language of 3 municipalities in Prekmurje: Dobrovnik , Hodoš and Lendava...
in northeast Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
. It lies on the slopes of Pohorje
Pohorje
Pohorje is a mountain range in northern Slovenia, near the towns of Dravograd and Maribor. Made of metamorphic rock, it is geologically part of the Central Eastern Alps, though due to its location south of the Drava River it is commonly regarded as a Southern Limestone Alps range.-Peaks:The most...
in the upper valley of the river Dravinja
Dravinja
The Dravinja River is the largest tributary of the Drava River in Slovenia. It is long. Its source is on the Pohorje Massif southwest of Mount Rogla about 1,150 m above sea level. The river passes Zreče, the town of Slovenske Konjice, the ruins of the fort at Zbelovo, Poljčane, Makole, Štatenberg...
. Traditionally the area was part of the Lower Styria
Lower Styria
Lower Styria or Slovenian Styria is a traditional region in northeastern Slovenia, comprising the southern third of the former Duchy of Styria. The population of Lower Styria in its historical boundaries amounts to around 705,000 inhabitants, or 34.5% of the population of Slovenia...
region. The municipality is now included in the Savinja statistical region
Savinjska statistical region
The Savinja statistical region is a statistical region in Slovenia. The largest town in the region is Celje. It is named after the Savinja River....
. In 2002 it had a population of 6245, growing to 6443 according to the 2008 census. Zreče became a single settlement in 1987 when the villages of Upper and Zgornje Zreče, Spodnje Zreče and Dobrava were united. The economy is centred around tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, especially in the winter months with the ski resort at Rogla
Rogla
Rogla is a mountain, a settlement and resort in Zreško Pohorje in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of Lower Styria. It is now included into the Savinja statistical region....
. A proportion of the population is also employed in agriculture.
Geography
Zreče is located 100 km northeast of LjubljanaLjubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, 42 kilometres from Maribor
Maribor
Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor....
, 25 kilometres from Celje
Celje
Celje is a typical Central European town and the third largest town in Slovenia. It is a regional center of Lower Styria and the administrative seat of the Urban Municipality of Celje . The town of Celje is located under Upper Celje Castle at the confluence of the Savinja, Ložnica, and Voglajna...
and 4 kilometres from Slovenske Konjice
Slovenske Konjice
Slovenske Konjice is a town and a municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area was part of the traditional region of Lower Styria.- Slovenske Konjice municipality :...
. The municipality covers an area of 67 square kilometres at the foothills of the Pohorje range between 360 and 1517 metres above sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. The central part of the municipality is highly segmented with much of the northern part with hills with an altitude of over 1000 metres and a continental climate
Continental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
.
History
Archaeological evidenceArchaeological record
The archaeological record is the body of physical evidence about the past. It is one of the most basic concepts in archaeology, the academic discipline concerned with documenting and interpreting the archaeological record....
from the area has pointed to Neolithic
Neolithic Europe
Neolithic Europe refers to a prehistoric period in which Neolithic technology was present in Europe. This corresponds roughly to a time between 7000 BC and c. 1700 BC...
settlement of the area. The earliest written sources date to the end of the 10th century when the area was divided into a number of ecclesiastical and secular domains.
The parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the settlement is dedicated to Saint Giles
Saint Giles
Saint Giles was a Greek Christian hermit saint from Athens, whose legend is centered in Provence and Septimania. The tomb in the abbey Giles was said to have founded, in St-Gilles-du-Gard, became a place of pilgrimage and a stop on the road that led from Arles to Santiago de Compostela, the...
and belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maribor. It dates to the 14th century with 18th and 19th century side chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
s. Two churches on the Brinjeva Gora hill to the east of the settlement belong to the same parish. They are dedicated to Saint Agnes , built between 1726 and 1732, and to the Mother of God, built in 1769.
Tourism
The RoglaRogla
Rogla is a mountain, a settlement and resort in Zreško Pohorje in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of Lower Styria. It is now included into the Savinja statistical region....
ski and health resort has become increasingly important to the local economy through tourism which employs around half of the population. There are many hotels, apartments, holiday houses, villas in the area and gymnasiums, health clinics, saunas and massage parlors. The Rogla resort is most active from the beginning of December through to mid March and has some 13 slopes for skiers of all abilities.
Tourism at Zreško Pohorje began to develop before the Second World War. The first observation tower
Observation tower
An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision. They are usually at least tall and made from stone, iron, and wood. Many modern towers are also used as TV towers, restaurants, or churches...
on Rogla was built in 1934. Many of the tourist facilities were destroyed during the war. The Koča hut on Rogla was rebuilt in 1956. It was managed by the Zreče mountaineering society until 1972 when it was taken over and renovated by Unior, a local company that produces hand tools. The company has become one of the biggest companies on its field in Europe and its management has had a continued interest in the development oh the whole Zreče and Rogla area. In 1974 Unior's management commissioned studies for the development of Rogla as a ski resort. The road leading to the peak was also widened. The first ski lift
Ski lift
The term ski lift generally refers to any transport device that carries skiers up a hill. A ski lift may fall into one of the following three main classes:-Lift systems and networks:...
s handling up to 900 skiers per hour were built.
The idea was to develop Rogla together with other tourist centres on Pohorje to offer a complete package with skiing, the spa resort at Zreče and agrotourism in the area. Thus in 1978 construction began on Hotel Dobrava in Zreče and of Hotel Planja on Rogla. Hotel Planja opened in 1980 with new ski lifts. In 1981 hotel Dobrava with 70 beds, a swimming pool and a new athletics-football stadium was completed. In 1981 hotel Dobrava with 70 beds, a swimming pool and a new athletics-football stadium was completed. By the 1990s Rogla had a capacity of over 1.200 beds and ski lifts handling 12.200 skiers per hour. A new Hotel Dobrava with 160 new beds was opened in 2000 and between 2002 and 2004 four new chairlifts were constructed and artificial snow systems extended, making Rogla one of the ski centres in Slovenia with the best snow conditions and the longest ski season.
Today there are 13 slopes for all levels of skiers available.
In 2005, the town was twinned with Sedbergh
Sedbergh
Sedbergh is a small town in Cumbria, England. It lies about east of Kendal and about north of Kirkby Lonsdale. The town sits just within the Yorkshire Dales National Park...
in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, UK. The efforts of Sedbergh to find a twin town were featured in a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
documentary, The Town That Wants A Twin and Zreče was the winning town.
Settlements
Bezovje nad ZrečamiBezovje nad Zrečami
Bezovje nad Zrečami is a small settlement in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:...
, Boharina
Boharina
Boharina is a settlement in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. It lies at the foothills of the Pohorje hills, above the left bank of the upper flow of the river Dravinja, just north of Zreče. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest...
, Bukovlje
Bukovlje, Slovenia
Bukovlje is a settlement in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Styria. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*...
, Čretvež
Čretvež
Čretvež is a small settlement in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. It lies in the hills to the south of Zreče and west of Slovenske Konjice. The area was traditionally part Lower Styria. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical...
, Črešnova
Črešnova
Črešnova is a small settlement in the hills to the north of Zreče in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the Zreče municipality into the Savinja statistical region....
, Drobovlje
Dobrovlje, Zreče
Dobrovlje is a settlement in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. It lies on the river Dravinja, half way between Zreče and Slovenske Konjice. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical...
, Gorenje pri Zrečah
Gorenje pri Zrečah
Gorenje pri Zrečah is a settlement in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region....
, Gornja vas
Gornja vas, Zreče
Gornja vas is a small settlement to the west of Stranice in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of Lower Styria. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region....
, Gračič
Gračič
Gračič is a small settlement to the east of Zreče in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part Lower Styria. It is now included with the rest of the Zreče municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*...
, Koroška vas na Pohorju
Koroška vas na Pohorju
Koroška vas na Pohorju is a settlement in foothills of the Pohorje range in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. It is part of the traditional region of Lower Styria and is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*...
, Križevec
Križevec
Križevec is a settlement in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*...
, Lipa
Lipa, Zreče
Lipa is a small settlement in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. It lies on the main road leading west from Zreče towards Vitanje. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality in the Savinja statistical...
, Loška Gora pri Zrečah
Loška Gora pri Zrečah
Loška Gora pri Zrečah is a settlement above the right banks of the river Dravinja in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region...
, Mala Gora
Mala Gora, Zreče
Mala Gora is a small dispersed settlement in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Styria. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:...
, Osredek pri Zrečah
Osredek pri Zrečah
Osredek pri Zrečah is a small settlement immediately west of the town of Zreče in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of Lower Styria. It is now included with the rest of the Zreče municipality into the Savinja statistical region....
, Padeški Vrh
Padeški Vrh
Padeški Vrh is a settlement in the Pohorje hills to the north of the town of Zreče in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the Zreče municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*...
, Planina na Pohorju
Planina na Pohorju
Planina na Pohorju is a settlement in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. It lies in the Pohorje hills, to the north of the town of Zreče. The area was traditionally part of Lower Styria. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External...
, Polajna
Polajna
Polajna is a small settlement in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. It lies on the main road from Zreče towards Vitanje. The area was traditionally part of Lower Styria and is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.-External links:*...
, Radana vas
Radana vas
Radana vas is a settlement on the river Dravinja to the southeast of Zreče in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of Lower Styria. It is now included with the rest of the Zreče municipality into the Savinja statistical region....
, Resnik
Resnik, Slovenia
Resnik is a settlement in the Pohorje hills to the north of Zreče in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of Lower Styria. It is now included with the rest of the Zreče municipality into the Savinja statistical region....
, Rogla
Rogla
Rogla is a mountain, a settlement and resort in Zreško Pohorje in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of Lower Styria. It is now included into the Savinja statistical region....
, Skomarje
Skomarje
Skomarje is a settlement in the Pohorje hills to the northwest of Zreče in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of Lower Styria. It is now included with the rest of the Zreče municipality into the Savinja statistical region....
, Spodnje Stranice
Spodnje Stranice
Spodnje Stranice is a settlement in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. It lies on the main road towards Vojnik, south west of the town of Zreče. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Styria. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja...
, Stranice
Stranice
Stranice is a settlement in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region....
, Zabork
Zabork
Zabork is a dispersed settlement in the hills north of Stranice in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of Lower Styria. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region....
, Zlakova
Zlakova
Zlakova is a settlement in the Zreče municipality in northeastern Slovenia. It lies in the hills just north of the town of Zreče. The area was traditionally part of the Lower Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality into the Savinja statistical region.The local church is...
, Zreče
Administration
The current mayor is Boris Podvršnik. The mayor leads the municipal council and oversees the implementation of its decision. He is responsible for implementing the county policy and supervises the work of the municipal administration, public services, institutions and funds. The distinctive yellow and green coat of arms and flag of Zreče were adopted in September 1995. It is yellow, vertically divided with a green heart with two wavy lines at the bottom of it.Notable people
- Jurij Vodovnik (1791–1858) - poet
- Marijan Osole (1924- ) General manager of Unior (1968–1992), the founding father of the town of Zreče in its present form